Basics of Blogging

I started my blogging journey in December 2013. Since then it’s been an on-off ride. But I have managed to make it my profession and earn a living out of it. I am sharing a few of my very personal experiences about Basics of Blogging in this post that helped me to be a full-time blogger and also some lessons that I learned along the way.

2013 – How to be a Blogger?

So in 2013, the answer to this question was, To become a blogger, all you have to do is start your own blog. Then, start writing and posting on the blog. That’s how to become a blogger. Nothing more!

Fast forward to 2018 – How to be a Blogger?

To become a blogger, you need to start your own blog, brand your blog & yourself, create engaging content, market your blog, and be your blog’s PR. It’s like running your own startup, without any additional help. A blogger is a one-woman army who has the power to influence others and be that person in the life of her readers whom they trust and look forward to every single day. If you miss even one part of it, you will never be able to reach to your reader and will have to struggle a lot. So that’s what you need to do to be a blogger.

How to get ready to take up Blogging as your career?

What do you need to be a blogger?

Good command over the language you want to start your blog in

Pen

Diary

Planner

Internet

Smart Phone/Tablet/Laptop

Camera/Good Phone Camera (Depends on your niche)

Do I need to invest money to be a blogger?

The answer to this question is very simple, you spend lacs of rupees on your education. That’s the investment you do in order to get a job that supports your lifestyle. So in blogging, the more you invest the better the results are. For the first three months, all you need to invest in is a domain and hosting, a good phone with a camera (if you don’t have one), few props for photography depending upon your niche.

Ethics of blogging

• Positive Journalism – There are enough people to cash on lives of other people. To be a better person & a better brand, you need to keep the personal lives of celebrities and other people away from your blog. You might have an opinion about them but there is no need to drag someone else to earn that moolah to feed your child.

• Freedom of Speech – There is no way someone can take away your right from you. If you stand for something no one can stop you from sharing your story. We bloggers have a community of most supportive followers and they will always support us no matter what.

• No Plagiarism – Stealing a part or the entire content from someone else’s work is a strict no-no. Plagiarism is intolerable and because I am helping you to get into blogging I want you to know it is better to take permission from the content creator instead of landing up in a legal battle where you will always end up losing.

• Give Credit where it’s due – This is to support the no plagiarism cause. Give credits where ever you use someone else’s content. Be it a photo, a point in an article or an idea unless it’s a stock photo.

• Your thoughts are only an opinion – Before sharing an article, tell your readers that it is only your opinion on a particular topic unless you are qualified enough to give advice on it. Example – Your family tradition is to start with semisolids for kids when they turn 5 months old. But the government of the country says the right age is 6 months. Please understand that a mother can take your advice and end up in trouble with her child. Unless you are qualified to understand what you are saying, tell your readers that it’s only an opinion because it worked for my child.

• Truth – Your readers deserve nothing but the truth. They need to see the imperfect and struggling life of their Influencer instead of the made-up truth. If you be frank to your readers they will be frank to you.

• Admit & Correct your mistakes – Blogging is a forever learning journey. You need to admit your mistakes and learn from them. Because that’s the rule of life. You fall to raise up even stronger.

Consistency & Accountability

If you are new to blogging or are thinking of starting a blog. You can start with taking up the Writer’s Workshop.

Being a blogger is easy but earning a living out of it is not. If you succeed to take it up as a profession instead of passion you can start earning within 3 months of starting your blog. The key is working consistently towards your goals. I know it is not easy when you don’t see any money flowing in for first few months. But you can join a support group for bloggers where women are trying to start a blog and make it their profession. FLOURISH TRIBE is a group that I started for the purpose. If you are a female you can join the group to find a tribe whom you are accountable to.

That’s it for now. Next time I will be talking about The Process of Creating Good Content. But complete this week’s Writer’s Workshop and send in your articles at hello@missharshala.com or post them in the February post comments.

2 Comments

Hi! That was really helpful.. knowing about what I really wanted has always taken me to a blank state.. There is always dilemma, confusions, family, and the self when ever I think about my dream.. You have rather made it Lil more simplified for me to catch up my dream.. I’ll try my best through your workshop.. With a 7 month old baby at home, I wonder how far I can “try my best”..
Getting inspiration and positive vibes..! Thanks!

Your article will definitely help me carve out how I should approach the blogging career. Also, I read another article of yours – How to set mindset? It is an awesome approach to face any difficult situation in life.